The majority of thin people—whether they have been lean all their life or managed to lose weight and keep it off—share several healthy strategies that help them stay thin and healthy with seemingly little effort.

 

They don't diet

Or at least not in the traditional, all-or-nothing, deprivation sense of the word.  You need to get rid of that diet mentality and realize that what you are doing is making a permanent lifestyle change.   Research has also shown that thin people tend to have a better quality diet than those who are overweight. They eat more fruits and vegetables and more fiber, and drink more water—all healthy things that provide more food volume for the number of calories.

 

They exercise regularly

Nine out of 10 people who've lost weight and maintained it exercise regularly and make it a critical part of their lives.  Even if you've never been a fitness fanatic, it's not too late to get moving. Even taking a few 15-minute walks throughout the day will be a move in the right direction. Once you start to enjoy the mood-boosting and calorie-burning advantages of exercise, start looking for ways to keep your workouts interesting.

 

They don't solve problems with food

Almost everyone is guilty of occasionally drowning their sorrows in a pint of Ben & Jerry's or taking out frustration on a batch of brownies, but thin people definitely don't make it a habit.   When you are upset (or bored, lonely, frustrated or angry),  ask yourself: Is food really going to solve the problem, or will it just end up making you feel worse after you finish eating? Chances are, the food won't fix what's bothering you, so it's important to come up with a list of other small pleasures you can turn to instead of food. Some ideas include going for a walk, watching a movie, calling a friend, playing with your kids, or taking a bubble bath.

 

They stop eating when they're full

Most thin people are not members of the clean-plate club. Instead of mindlessly eating however much they are served, they pay attention to internal hunger cues and satiety.   They often report that they don't like that feeling of being uncomfortably full, so they've learned how to stop before they reach it.

 

They don't surround themselves with temptation

Rather than stocking the cupboards with junk food, thin people's kitchens tend to be filled with healthy foods.

 

They eat breakfast

According to the National Weight Control Registry, which tracks the habits and strategies of more than 5,000 people who have maintained a significant weight loss, nearly 80 percent of these successful losers eat breakfast every single day. And most of their naturally lean counterparts do the same, and make sure that they eat within about an hour of waking up.  Until you send food into your system, your metabolism doesn't really start to kick in.

 

They don't skip meals

There are two problems with skipping meals—and thin people are careful not to fall prey to them. Going more than six hours without food will slow down your metabolism, plus you'll likely get so desperately hungry that you'll grab anything (as opposed to something healthy) and eat too much of it. "Thin people keep their gas tanks [i.e., their stomachs] between one-quarter and three-quarters full all the time," says Fleming. The best way to do that is to eat frequent mini-meals every three to four hours.